Electronic components (such as integrated circuits) are often soldered to circuit boards by way of a process known as reflow soldering. For example, prior to initiating a reflow process, solder paste may be disposed on contact pads located on a circuit board, and then electronic components may be placed on top of the solder paste, which holds the electronic components in position atop their corresponding contact pads. After the electronic components have been put in place, the circuit board may undergo a reflow process that heats the solder paste to a certain temperature. The temperature must be hot enough to melt the solder paste such that, once cooled off, the solder forms permanent connection joints between the electronic components and their corresponding contact pads.
Unfortunately, electronic components with large package sizes, especially those of lidless construction, may pose and/or represent a significant challenge during the soldering process. For example, a reflow process may apply so much heat to a lidless integrated circuit that the package of the lidless integrated circuit warps. This warpage may bend the package such that permanent connection joints are unable to form between the connection terminals on the integrated circuit and the corresponding contact pads on the circuit board. As a result, the integrated circuit may fail to achieve full connectivity with the remaining electronic components laid out on the circuit board. Without full connectivity, the circuit board may fail to work as intended, leaving the computing device in which the circuit board is installed inoperable for its intended purpose.
The instant disclosure, therefore, identifies and addresses a need for apparatuses, systems, and methods for mitigating warpage of lidless integrated circuits during reflow processes.